Few people in North Carolina would recognize the names of Jeannette Doran, Robin Hudson or Eric Levinson.

Even residents who will take the time to vote in May’s primary election may be at a loss when they come across those three names in the race for an N.C. Supreme Court seat now held by Hudson.

Judicial elections have always had trouble getting voter’s attention, especially those for statewide office in which candidates from one part of the state may not be well known in other areas.

The rules also are a little different in judicial elections since the races are non partisan. In this race — the only statewide judicial race with a primary — the top two vote-getters in the May 6 primary will move onto the general election in November. The race also will be on all ballots regardless of Republican or Democratic party affiliation.

Hudson stopped by The Gaston Gazette last week and, in recognition of this being “Sunshine Week,” she was asked for her thoughts on the public’s right to know and the role of the judiciary in making decisions about open government.

Hudson also has the advantage of being an incumbent so she has a record of such issues in recent decisions.

But first an introduction to Hudson and her two challengers. Both Hudson and Doran live in Raleigh, while Levinson lives in Charlotte.

Hudson spent 25 years practicing law before becoming the first woman elected to the appellate courts without having been appointed first.

She was elected to the Court of Appeals in 2000 and to her first term on the Supreme Court in 2006.

Levinson is a Superior Court judge in Mecklenburg County, who has held presided over court cases in Gaston.

Doran previously worked as executive director of the N.C. Institute for Constitutional Law. Gov. Pat McCrory appointed her in late 2013 to a job where she will hear unresolved unemployment benefit appeals.

Judicial candidates avoid talking about specifics since they may be asked to hear evidence and decide on matters appearing before the court, but Hudson has had a role in several open government cases in the last few years. Here are some of Hudson’s thoughts on the importance of transparency in government.

Why are issues like North Carolina’s Open Meetings and Public Records law important?

“The flow of information is really important for the functioning of our democracy. It’s really important for people to know not only what’s going on in the world, but also what’s going on in our government.”

Last year, Gov. Pat McCrory signed a bill into law making records kept by police departments at private universities subject to the state’s public records law. A tied state Supreme Court heard a case regarding a similar issue, and you voted that those records should be made public.

Page 2 of 2 - “We appreciate what they do to keep the community safe, but the public has a right to know what they are doing,” Hudson said.

Hudson declined to talk about specifics regarding this case since it may come back before the state Supreme Court.

Hudson was the lone dissenting vote last year for access to records of communications between the General Assembly Republican leadership and outside consultants and lawyers over redistricting plans.

We asked her about transparency in an open society.

“Public officials tend to have public scrutiny and that’s a good thing,” Hudson said.

Kevin Ellis is an editor with the Gaston Gazette. Contact him via Twitter.com/TheGazetteKevin.